As you will have noticed, we at Tabitha's are very dedicated to dressing up and pride ourselves in our costumes and outfits not only being as eye-catching and authentic as possible, but also representing the clients' desired theme or vibe to the very best of our ability. Wearing an intricate, revealing or risque costume can occationally be nerve wracking when the order of the evening is being on show, but throw a snake into the mix and things can get very interesting! Unless you tried it out yourselves it would probably not occur to you how much snakes will grab and pull things with their tails (e.g. straps, waistbands, tie-strings) and also push their heads places that can result in all kinds of entanglement. It has been said more times than once, that some of my snakes are more deft at undressing a girl than the average bloke!! Tops are lifted, drawers are dropped- all sorts, in lightening quick speed and with uncanny timing- more often than not the moment you step foot into the public eye from the dressing area.
It is important to note this is not a regular occurrance and all our current outfits have been doctored and adjusted accordingly in order to minimise indecent exposure and potentially embarrassing moments as much as possible! However, all new outfits must be road tested at home, with the snakes, in order to be sure we can move freely and comfortably, and that the clothing is "snake proof"!! This ensures the maximum possible safety and comfort not only for the handler but the snakes too, and in turn, any client or member of the public we may encounter.
Things run very smoothly for us the majority of the time, and I like to think this is down to the insight I have from my previous experiences with a company I used to work for as a reptile handler, now and again doing live events in costume. As mentioned already, costume faults can only really be found by practice, and in those days we often would find ourselves testing the costumes for the first time with animals while actually on the jobs! The experience that stands out above all others was at a very large corporate event- a circus themed summer party. We were there with a number of handlers and species- my job was manning a whole tent full of reptile exhibits. My main charge for the day was a 12 foot long burmese python, who was accessory to a fabulous tribal style costume made up of a stiff leather beaded loincloth with raffia on the hips, raffia leg band around the tops of my calves and over the top of an animal print vest was a sort of chest plate made of the same leather as the loin cloth. It went over your shoulders with a piece ont he front and back, shoulder plates and leather loops the went under your arms, presumably to secure it. This all sounds well and good, I hear you cry- let me explain the sort falls of this attire. firstly the arm straps. They dangled rather and this made for an irrisistable anchor point for the snake to grab with the end of his tail, resulting not only in the breast plate being rearranged and looking dreadful, I was also throttled and garrotted and regular points throughout the day which didn't looks proffessional at all, called for much struggling with the animal and I can tell you, was not a very comfortable situation to be in. Now since I worked for a company with many staff and ever variable jobs and a limited budget, costumed were required to be "one size fits all". This means the poor seamstress had fitted my loincloth with an elastic waist band. BIG MISTAKE! The trick for maximum ease and safety when handling a massive snake, I have found, is to wrap them around your waist once so your hips bear most of the weight evenly, and the other half of the snake is passed over one shoulder, like a life belt. So this great big snake is tired from working, and starts sliding down my body and I realise I need to get behind the tent and rearrange him where noone is looking, so I shimmy around the side as this flipping thing is sliding down, but still gripping me all the way around. The elastic waistband fails me (of course) and so the loin cloth comes right down exposing my knicker-clad (thank God) bum, right as my boss comes around the corner!! Red faces all round, and a lesson learned. Zips and buttons are a must!
There is always that issue of snug fitting costumes for handlers of different dress sizes, and since going freelance, I tried out baggy belly dancing trousers based on those wrap around and tie up fishermans trousers, again to be foiled by Chainsaw (it's nearly always the same snake) pulling the bow undone in seconds, so we now resort to individual outfits for all the handlers, which though more costly, is safer, and also looks much better in many ways. We are also very careful about swags, sashes, all that dangly stuff, so everything is carefully considered, and stitched or fixed so prevent entanglement, throttling and goodness knows what for snake or handler.
So who does all this, I hear you ask? We are very privilaged to have the majority of our costumes made from scratch, altered or customised by Kim Brinnen of Vintage Home and Wear. An experienced seamstress and designer, Kim does alts and such by commission, but also deals in antiques and vintage clothing, homewear and accessories including her own lines of unique one-off jewellery pieces and fascinators. You can find Kim at The Old Chemist Shop on Mill Road in Cambridge- drop in on a wednesday when she is manning the fort. You can also a have a peek at examples of some of her products at www.vintagehomeandwear.com be sure to pop along to the shop, its one of Cambridges best kept secrets and a real aladdins cave of goodies!
